Clio, a Vancouver-based developer of cloud-based management tools for the legal industry, has released a new set of enhanced features geared toward helping solo and small firm lawyers track and record time. On the heels of launching its Clio Platform and integrations with Chrometa and ZenCash, solo and small firm lawyers using Clio can now share Activity descriptions, and set rates at the User, Matter and Client level.

In addition to granular rate control, Clio announced improved flat fee support. Users can more easily set flat rates, or use other alternative billing methods instead of the typical hourly billing method. These features help solo and small firm lawyers see not only what they’re spending and making on Client-related Matters, but also on administrative tasks and other non-Client Matters.

“Capturing time is a challenge for any solo and small firm lawyer, and we’ve made it easier to do so. Being able to set rates at both the Matter and Client level adds another layer of flexibility so that solos and small firm lawyers can easily bill at a flat rate, or see how much time it really takes to complete a Matter before opting for a flat rate. The easier it is for them to get a handle on their time and bill appropriate, the more successful their firms become,” said Clio co-founder and CEO Jack Newton.

Clio also announced improvements to Clio Express. First introduced at ABA TECHSHOW in 2009, Clio Express has evolved into a time keeping tool that tracks time when offline, and syncs when there’s an Internet connection.

A big change in Clio Express is its upgrade from Adobe AIR to HTML5. Instead of being a desktop application, Clio Express runs through Google Chrome, even when your offline. No need to run another desktop application. You can track time in Chrome as you keep working.

Currently Clio Express is only available through the Google Chrome Web Store.

“Many of us are so used to always have the Internet at our fingertips, it can be frustrating to not have it, whether on a plane or stuck at an airport with no Wi-Fi or even during an extended power outage. Clio Express gives our users that added flexibility to still record time spent on client work even when they don’t have Internet,” Newton said.

With Clio Express, granular rate control and improved flat fee support, Clio gives solo and small firm lawyers the tools necessary to track time and record time, and better manage their practices.